Heir to the Throne
by Can'tTakethePressure
Summary: *REMAKE OF THE BROKEN KING*. Caroline was a different kind of special. She could see the best in everyone, but what about Klaus Mikaelson? He daggered the man she called her brother, tried to sacrifice her friend, and killed people she cared about. She becomes stuck with the beast himself when all she can crave is his blood. But how long is it until she starts to crave more?
1. Chapter 1

_**1960**_

"Kol, where's my mama?" asked the six year old little girl. She looked up at him with big blue questioning eyes.

The youngest living Mikaelson licked his lips and gently brushed a strand of blonde hair away from the child's face. "Mama went to Heaven," Kol said softly.

"Even my daddy?"

"Yes, Caroline. But I promise I'll take care of you. I'll protect you with my life," Kol vowed. Determination was set in his eyes.

No one would ever take Kol Mikaelson as a child person. Even he himself thought he despised children. Yet when he looked at Caroline, he felt the need to protect her.

Caroline just nodded slowly at Kol and held his hand. The simple gesture shocked him, and he nearly yanked his hand away as if she had an infectious disease. But then Kol just gave her a small smile and pulled her into his arms. He sat her on his hip and walked up the old wooden stairs of his home. Caroline watched in awe as she saw how large the house was.

It was nearly three times the size of her old home, and ten times more beautiful. Caroline skimmed her fingertips along the intricate carvings on the railing of the stairs. The smooth texture suddenly changed when her hand touched a wall.

Kol walked into the guest bedroom next to his and placed Caroline on the soft queen sized bed. Caroline's eyes lit up with glee and she began to jump around. Kol started to worry, not wanting her to fall and hurt herself.

"Caroline, it's bed time," he said with his eyes trained on her.

She just plopped herself down on the bed and fell back. Her head hit the fluffy pillows and she sprawled herself around the bed like a starfish. Kol chuckled and started to leave the room.

"Wait!"

Kol stopped and turned around.

"Thank you, Kol. Good night," Caroline said softly.

(-.(-.(-.-).-).-)

_**1964**_

A whimper left Caroline's lips when she heard another scream. In her mind she was counting the seconds to how long the screams have been going on. So far, she was up to 2,459 seconds, and it was her second time counting. Multiple times her mind trailed off to think about the horrors occurring in the room downstairs.

Caroline had buried herself in the closet of the room Kol left her in to help dull out of screams. Blankets and pillows surrounded her, keeping her warm. They gave her a reassuring feeling that made her feel safe- Something she hadn't felt since Kol got a phone call and made them relocate to a town called Mystic Falls. Since they arrived, all he had done was drink from girls and compel the townsfolk to do unspeakable things.

"No! Please!" screeched a feminine voice. The pain and terror in her voice was evident, and caused shivers to run down Caroline's spine.

It was then when Caroline gained enough confidence to leave her hiding spot. All she could think about was getting Kol to stop. She wanted her best friend back, not the monster who did things out of anger.

Each step Caroline took gave her a burst of confidence. Her chin was held up in a prideful way as she stormed down the stairs. The stench of alcohol and blood caused a bile to rise up her throat, but she pushed it down just as all eyes landed on her.

Kol's eyes darkened when they landed on the ten year old girl standing only a few yards away. In a second he could drink all of the blood in her body. Yet for some reason, the girl wasn't scared. She didn't even show a sign of fear. Instead, Kol saw a fire burning in Caroline's blue eyes that had never been there before.

"This has gone on too long, Kol," Caroline said in a serious voice, shooting him a stern look. She approached the immortal man, avoiding the pools of blood and whiskey. "Let's go home."

The original scoffed and sneered at Caroline. Just because he could, he bared his teeth at her into a hiss, letting his vampirism show. The deep blue veins under his eye protruded in a way that used to seem scary, but was now pointless to Caroline. "We have no home," Kol drawled.

Caroline glanced at the women hiding in the corner of the room. Their eyes were willed with terror as they stared at her. All Caroline wanted was to save them. She grabbed Kol's hand in hers and stared into his dark irises. "Kol, please. Let's go home," Caroline said ever so softly. Her free hand reached out to touch the veins under Kol's eyes. She ran her thumb gently over his skin until she could no longer see his veins.

Realization hit Kol like a ton of bricks; The ten year old had him wrapped around her little finger. He would do anything to please Caroline and keep her safe. Four years ago, he made a promise to always protect her. Never did he think that he'd take the promise so seriously.

"Home," Kol repeated. The word sounded foreign on his tongue. He slightly nodded and licked his lips. "Let's go home."

(-.(-.(-.-).-).-)

_**1972**_

The beautiful blonde sang quietly to herself. It seemed like singing was the only way to keep her mind off of blood. Her melodic voice filled the silence of the room, even though her voice was barely above a whisper. When the sound of footfalls met Caroline's ears, she stopped singing and turned to the door.

"Your singing is lovely, Caroline," Kol commented as he walked inside the house. He tossed a blood bag to her and winked.

"Finally," she muttered, tearing into the bag with a hungry look. The scarlet liquid gushed into her mouth and she gulped down the whole bag within seconds. "Thank you," Caroline said. She licked her lips then let out a small content sigh.

Kol chuckled at her and rolled his eyes. "Guess what Abigail gave me today?" he asked. His hands slid into the pocket of his trousers. The smooth texture of the ring in his pocket only brightened Kol's mood and boosted his giddiness.

Caroline hummed to herself and tapped her chin with her pointer finger. "A life?" she joked.

No later did she exclaim, "Ow!"

She rubbed her forehead, pretending to be hurt. Kol just rolled his eyes again and said, "I only flicked your head, Sweetheart. Now don't upset me even more or else you won't get your gift!"

The corners of Caroline's lips quirked up into a smile. "You didn't have to get me anything, Kol," she said.

"Oh course I did. Now how am I supposed to walk about town without you by my side?" he asked. His hand slid out of his pocket and between his thumb and index finger was a ring.

Caroline's breath caught in her throat at the sight of it. The blue gem on the ring was the one Kol showed her a few years back. He had told her that it would be the stone that'd give her more freedom.

"A daylight ring," Caroline whispered.

"Caroline Forbes, will you be my forever cherished companion?" Kol asked, half serious and half joking. The playful glint in his eyes told Caroline that he was happy, which was becoming a rare emotion for Kol lately.

The blonde laughed and nodded. "You are the best friend ever, Kol," she said as he slid the ring on her finger.

Kol snorted. "Friend? I'm practically your damn brother. Now come here and give me a hug!" he chuckled.

At that moment, Caroline thought that everything was okay. She thought that she had the old Kol back, instead of the one who has been on edge. Kol on the other hand thought differently. The call he had from Abigail only made him worry about Caroline's safety. Nothing was okay in his eyes.

_"Klaus was in the area. He only asked around about the doppelgänger, but be careful. I'd hate for something to happen to you and Caroline," Abigail said._

_"Caroline will be safe. I'll make sure of it," Kol told her. He closed his eyes briefly and said to himself, **"Even if it means others will be hurt in the process."**_

**A/N Really similar to the first chapter of The Broken King, minus Caroline leaving. So... Good? Bad? Let me know, please! I know that there will be a lot of errors in my writing, so sorry in advance. **

**For those who expect some KENNETT, it will appear later in the story.**

**-CTTP**


	2. Chapter 2

_**1972**_

Kol held Caroline's hand as they walked through town. Onlookers glanced at the two, many believing that they were together as a young couple. Both vampires were oblivious to the looks though as they window-shopped. Their relationship was entirely platonic, but there was no doubt that if pretending to be Caroline's boyfriend scared off the men in town, Kol would proclaim Caroline to be his. He wanted Caroline to remain her pure and kind self. The men in town would only tarnish her.

"I should go visit Abigail soon to thank her," Caroline said. Her lips curved into a small smile when she saw a little girl running after her brother. The boy had the girl's doll in his hand and he held it high above his head so his sister could not reach it. The girl began to softly cry and stomped her foot. She stormed over to a woman who looked haggard and disheveled and complained about her brother. The woman simply scolded her son and demanded for him to return his sister's doll.

_"I want that,"_ Caroline thought to herself. _"A family. I'd like to have a family."_

_"But you can't,"_ said a voice in her head. _"You're a vampire now, so you can't have children. You might not even find a man who will love you. You will spend eternity alone."_

"Caroline?"

Blue eyes snapped up to look at Kol, who was staring at Caroline with a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Caroline nodded and forced a wider smile. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Her words were all lies, and both of them knew it. As much as Kol wanted to interrogate her about what was bothering her, he knew when to give a girl space. There was nothing he could do but give her time.

"Well, as I was saying before you went completely blank on me- We are going to Abigail's for supper. In fact, we should go home so you can get all gussied up," Kol said. He glanced at his watch and licked his lips. Nodding he said, "Yes, we should go now."

They walked back to their house in a comfortable silence. The dirt road that led to their woodsy cottage home had tracks of a car, which made Kol frown. No one in town dared to go down the path for years every since Kol compelled a group of men to tell the townsfolk that they found the body of a girl who wandered there. Even Abigail never came down the path. They had always gone to her house instead.

"Something's wrong," Kol stated, coming to a halt. He pulled Caroline close to him and looked around for any signs of a threat. "Go to Abigail's," Kol told Caroline. He kissed her forehead and released her from his grip.

Caroline opened her mouth to protest, but Kol cut her off, promising that he'd meet her there. She didn't want to leave him though. There was a part of her that said she'd never see him again. There was a part of both of them that said that.

"I'll be fine, just go!" Kol hissed.

They stared at each other for a moment before Caroline took a deep breath and ran off at an inhuman speed. She focused on Abigail and blocked out all thoughts of Kol. If she didn't, she'd just run back and look for him.

Caroline found herself standing in front of the witch's home before she could even fathom how she could just leave Kol. Her hand raised to knock on the door, but froze when it swung open to reveal Abigail.

The witch looked at Caroline with a concerned expression. Her eyebrows were knitted together and lips were pursed into a thin line. "Caroline? Where's Kol?" she asked whilst ushering the girl into her home. "Sit down, Honey. You look a bit shaken," Abigail said, reaching out to brush a strand of Caroline's hair away from her face.

The familiar smell of lavender and vanilla eased Caroline's nerves a bit. Abigail rubbed Caroline's back as they sat side by side on the couch, just like when Caroline was a little girl. While Caroline never remembered much about her real mother, Abigail was the closest thing to a mom Caroline had. She taught her how to read and write, sent her off to school, lectured her when she did something bad- Abigail was her family, like Kol.

"I think something's wrong. Kol told me to come here. He looked unnerved," Caroline said. She played with her daylight ring subconsciously. After a moment or two, she glanced down to look at the fine piece of jewelry then turned to Abigail. "Thank you for the ring," she said, giving Abigail a small smile.

"Oh, hush, Honey. It was no problem. You know I'd do anything for you," Abigail said softly with a smile. She cupped Caroline's cheek in her hand and kissed her forehead. "Don't you worry about Kol, Darling. He can take care of himself."

That was what worried Caroline. Kol could survive without her, but she wouldn't be able to do the same. She was attached to the original, and while a part of her told her it was selfish to want Kol to stay at her side, she just didn't want to lose anyone. Though something told her that they would separate in the near future. Perhaps it was the way Kol had a frantic look in his eyes when he sent her off.

_**1961**_

_Caroline whimpered and gripped onto her blanket even tighter. A clash of lightning lit up the dark sky for a brief moment, followed by a loud roar. Rain spattered against the window of her bedroom, and for a moment, Caroline believed that the glass would shatter from the force of the storm. Her heart raced as another strike of lightning met her eyes, even closer to her home than the last one._

_She scurried off her bed and threw open her closet door, hiding beneath her clothing and blanket. Caroline whimpered when another sound of thunder cut through the air. _

_Downstairs, unknowing to the seven year old, was Kol, shaking off what he could of the rain. His clothing stuck to his skin and his hair was matted down against his forehead. He kicked off his shoes with a frown and listened for any sound of Caroline. All he heard was a sob followed by a sniffle. Kol walked up the wooden stairs that creaked in protest._

_"Caroline? Sweetheart, where are you?" Kol asked as he walked into her room._

_His eyes landed on her messy bed that was missing a blanket. He cocked his head to the side and walked towards her bed, resting his hand on the bedpost. A sniffle met his ears and he turned to Caroline's closet, where he saw a blanket covering a small lump. He walked over and crouched down._

_"Caroline, come out," he said softly. "I'm here."_

_A blur of blonde hair threw itself at him. Tiny arms wrapped around his neck as a cry left Caroline's lips. Shock washed over Kol. He was motionless for a moment until he realized the state Caroline was in._

_"Where were you?" Caroline asked. "Abigail said you'd be home ages ago!"_

_Guilt ate away at Kol. He knew he should have asked Abigail to stay longer. "I'm so sorry, Love. I'm here now."_

_Caroline nodded and bit back another sob. "You won't do that again, right?" she asked. Her teary blue eyes looked at him with such sadness and fear that Kol couldn't say no. _

_"Never. I'll always be here for you, and I'll always protect you. I promise, Caroline," he swore, kissing her forehead. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks and gave her a small smile. "Hey. You are part Mikaelson, and Mikaelsons are strong. Don't let some storm scare you," Kol said softly. "Now smile. I can't bare to see you cry." He poked Caroline's stomach, causing her to giggle._

_Her tears were gone as well as her fear of the storm. "No, Kol! Stop it!" she shrieked with joy when the original continued to tickle her._

_"Are you smiling yet?" he asked, grinning at her._

_"Yes, Kol, see? I'm smiling now! Kol, stop!" she squealed._

_**1972**_

Minutes later, though it felt like hours, Kol appeared at Abigail's. He had blood stains on his clothing and hands. His hair was a mess and his clothes were disheveled. It looked like he got a glimpse of Hell.

"Klaus knows I'm here," he stated.

Caroline frowned. "Klaus? As in your older brother?" She got up from her seat to walk over to Kol.

Kol nodded and ran a hand down his face. "Brother dearest isn't very happy with me at the moment," he said bitterly. The original stared at Caroline with sad eyes. He shook his head and glanced at Abigail who gave him a knowing look. She nodded at him as if saying, "You have to do it."

"Kol?" Caroline asked softly.

Gulping, Kol looked back at Caroline. "You will hate me for this," he said. "I know you will, but I have to do it. I'm so sorry, Caroline."

"What are you-"

Kol held Caroline's head in his hands and forced her to look in his eyes. "You will run miles and miles away from here, and never return. If anyone even _mentions_ Klaus Mikaelson, you will run even further away," he ordered as his pupils dilated. "You will not turn off your humanity, do you understand me?" His throat tightened as he prepared himself to finish compelling her. He saw the tears in Abigail's and Caroline's eyes as he said last, "And you will forget everything about me until I tell you to remember."

He released the blonde and watched as she blinked at him in confusion. Then, she ran out the door, and out of his life.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.


End file.
